Protecting cap for the valves of pressure gas bottles



Oct. 8, 1940. ALESSK) 2,216,717

- PROTECTING CAP FOR THE VALVES 0F PRESSURE GAS BOTTLES Filed Feb. 19, 1938 b INVENTOR 8 EMILIO ALESSIO BMW? 2 ATTVS.

Patented Oct. 1940 rao'rac'rmc car FOB rm-1 vALvEs or? rnassuaa GAS no'r'russ, 3

Emilio Alesaio, Alessandria, nan

Application February-'19, 1938, Serial No. 191,560 InItalyFebi-uary26,1 937 a 4 Claims; (Cl. ace-s51 The protecting caps for the valvesof pressure gas bottles are generally fixed to the bottles by screwing. On account of rough handling of said bottles on which the caps are frequently carelessly screwed, the screw thread wears out very quickly and the outlet valve is liable to become untight, which is 'most' objectionable, particularly in the case of oxygen bottles.

An object of this invention is to eliminate this drawback by securing the protective cap by means of a bayonet joint in which guide surfaces for the hooks fixed to the bottle are inclined in the direction of rotation of the cap and loosening of the cap is prevented even when the bayonet joint has not been brought to its final clamping position. For this purpose a pawl is provided on the cap, which is automatically tilted behind the hook fixed to the bottle, before the cap has reached, .when rotating, the position in which closure is m ensured by friction.

The accompanying drawing shows diagrammatically the object of this invention.

Figure 1 is an outer view with the pawl in safety position. I

Figure 2 isa vertical section, I

Figure 3 is a partial outer view, in which the pawl is in the released position;

Figure 4 is a plan view,

Figure 5 shows the relative positions of the parts when the bottle is in the horizontal position.

Two plates 3 provided with hooks 4 are screwed or welded at two diametrically opposed points to the top edge of the bottle 2 which is fitted with a valve I. The engaging surface of the hooks is slightly inclined towards the centre of the bottle. Two annular members 6 are arranged at the lower end of the protective cap 5 and their upper edges la: are inclined in a peripheral direction and are also slightly sloped towards the centre of the bottle. The cap is fitted on the bottle and rotated in a clockwise direction so that the inclined surface of the hook comes into engagement with the edge in. A further rotation of the cap clamps the hooks 4 against the surfaces 6a.

A pivot I is screwed into the cap above the inclined surface 60 and has a pawl 8 rotatable thereon. The pawl is provided with a clamping flange 8a and a mass 8b which maintains by virtue of its own weight the flange 8a in its looking position and permits of releasing the pawl by hand. A pin 9 secured to the cap acts as a stop for the pawl both in the locked and released position. The pawl is tilted behind the hook 4 by the 56 action of the weight of the mass 8b as soon as the book 4 has travelled a certain length on the edge to. Anaccidental backward rotation of the cap 5 dueto shocks or inadvertence in handling is prevented by the'fiange 8a, which is abutted by the hook 4 in the case of a backward rotation. '5 The hook comes then into the rectangular notch 8c betweenthe flange 8a and mass 8b which is essential for the safety of the appliance for, even if the pin 9 should break, the closure is safely locked because the hook is blockedagainst the 10 edges of the flange 8a and mass 81) which confine the notch 80.

In the vertical position of the bottle the pawl is brought to its locking position by the weight of the flange 8a and. is maintained in the same 16 position by the complementary action of the weight of the second mass 8b. These two masses are arranged in such manner that looking is obtained even when the bottle is in horizontal position, which is of great importance because gas 20 bottles are often horizontally arranged when transported in railway cars, trucks etc.

Figure 5 shows the conditions when the bottle is in horizontal position. As the masses 8a and 8b are displaced to each other through 90 ap- 25 proximately about the axis of rotation of the pawl, when the bottle is horizontal, the pawl takes a position, in which the resultant of the weight of both masses to, 8b is vertical so that even in the horizontal position of the bottle the 30 mass 8a is still in the path of the hook 4. Should the cap tend to fall on accidentally, the hook 4 would always strike against the flange 8a. preventing the inclinedsurface So from leaving the range of the hook 4. 35

The above described construction ensures looking both in the vertical and horizontal position of the bottle, that isto say in the two positions practically of importance, dispensing with any resilient means.

The locking device is finally tightened by means of a spanner which is fitted to the hexagonal member ill at the top of the cap 5. The cap is then frictionally held between the hooks 4 and edges Ga.

Handling may be simplified by providing a pawl 8 only for one of the bayonet joints 4, 6.

The pawl 8 andhooks 4 are formed with holes ll, i2 respectively through which a wire may be passed and sealed thus preventing opening of the 50 cap 5 without breaking the seal or wire. A chain i4 is attached to the inside upper surface of the cap 5 by means of the ring 13 and to a ring l5 rotatably mounted in a groove in the body i of the valve, thus preventing detachment of the cap from the bottle. The chain may be laterally secured to the inside of the cap, instead of to its top portion, this being particularly useful in the case of shallow caps in which a small free space is left above the valve.

What I claim is:

1. In a bottle for pressure gas having a valve and a protective cap for said valve, the combination with the protective cap of a hooking member on the bottle, a retaining member on the cap engaging said hooking member by means 01' a rotary movement in one direction of the cap with respect to the bottle and a looking member on the cap having a portion movable automatically to a position behind said hooking member when the cap is fitted on the bottle, to prevent rotation in an opposite direction and therefore accidentally removal of the cap, said locking member comprising a pawl pivoted on the cap, an eccentric mass on said pawl for bringing by virtue of its own weight the pawl to its locking position when the bottle is vertical and a second eccentric mass on said pawl displaced through about to the first mass, so that the combined action of both masses causes the pawl to come to its locking position when the bottle is horizontal.

2. In a bottle for pressure gas having a valve and a protective cap for said valve, the combination with the protective cap or a hooking member on the bottle, a retaining member on the cap for engaging said hooking member by means 01' a rotary movement in one direction of the cap with respect to the bottle and a locking member on the cap having a portion movable automatically to a position behind said hooking member when the cap is fitted on the bottle to prevent rotation in an opposite direction and therefore accidentally removal of the cap, said locking member comprising a pawl pivoted to the cap and an eccentric mass on said pawl movable by virtue of its own weight in the locking position into the path of the said hooking member when the bottle is vertical and a second-eccentric mass on said pawl displaced through 90 to the first mentioned mass, so that the combined action I of both masses causes the pawl to come into the locking position when the bottle is horizontal.

3. In a bottle for pressure as having a valve and a protective cap for said valve. the combination with the protective cap of a hooking member on the bottle, a retaining member on the cap for engaging said hooking member by means of a rotary movement in one direction of the cap with respect to the bottle and a locking member on the cap having a portion movable automatically to a position behind said hooking member when the cap is fitted on the bottle to prevent rotation in an opposite direction and therefore accidentally removal of the cap, said locking member comprising a pawl pivoted to the cap, an eccentric mass on said pawl for bringing by virtue oi its own weight the pawl to its locking position when the bottle is in its vertical position and a second eccentric mass on said pawl displaced through about 90' with respect to the first mass, so that the combined action of both masses causes the pawl to come to its locking position when the bottle is horizontal, the position of the pawl with respect to said closing member being such that the pawl is tilted to its locking position before the cap has reached its final locked position.-

4. In a bottle for pressure gas having a valve and a protective cap for said valve, the combination with the cap of a hooking member on the bottle, a retaining member on the cap for engaging said hooking member by means of a rotary movement in one direction of the cap with respect to the bottle, a pivoted locking member on said cap having its center of gravity positioned eccentrically of its pivotal axis ior causing the locking member to tend to assume a definite position relative to the vertical, said locking member having a portion movable by the action of gravity behind said hooking member when the cap is fitted to the bottle and an abutment mounted on said cap adjacent said locking member and positioned to be contacted by the locking member for preventing rotation of said locking member for releasing said cap when the latter is rotated towards its opening direction.

EMILIO ALESSIO. 

